Purple Raiders loosen up for title run

On the field, even after a
hard-fought win against Mary Hardin-Baylor, Larry Kehres looks like
he's all business. But at other times this season, he's loosened
the reins on his Purple Raiders. Photo by Dan Poel for d3photography.com

By Adam Turer
D3sports.com

You can hear it in his voice. You can see it in the way his team
dominated all year. You could see it in the way his team remained
calm despite taking its first second-half lead with just five
seconds to play in the national semifinal win over No. 2 Mary
Hardin-Baylor.

After three gut-wrenching losses in the past three Stagg Bowls,
it would have been understandable for the coach with a .925 career
winning percentage to press matters this season. Instead, 2012 has
been pleasant for the Purple Raiders.

“I think I might have had a little more fun this year and
I’ve learned to relax a little,” said Kehres.
“I’ve had a good time with this group of
men.”

Of the 25 seniors on the roster, only two — kicker Tyler
Almeida and linebacker Jack LaForce — were members of the
last national championship team at Mount Union. That 2008 squad was
the last from Alliance to win the Stagg Bowl. This year marks the
team’s eighth straight trip to Salem. Rather than stressing
about the chance of graduating without a ring, this group has
played with confidence and composure this season.

“[The seniors] have used the last three losses as a
motivation to make sure we grind out good days in everything we
do,” said Kehres. “They have used it in a positive
way.”

The seniors have made this year easier for the coaching staff.
Knowing that they don’t want to be the first group of Purple
Raiders in twenty years to leave Alliance without a Stagg Bowl win,
the group has been self-motivating. The seniors have been a major
reason why Kehres finds himself in a more jovial mood this
December.

“I feel because of the great leadership we have on this
team he can actually sit back and relax a little more,” said
senior running back Jacob Simon. “If we’re having a bad
practice, we all kind of get on each other to pick it up and get it
right. He knows we have the leaders on this team to keep everybody
on the goal at hand.”

Kehres has allowed music to play on the practice field speakers
during Thursday practices. He has allowed the seniors to choose the
uniform combinations for each game. Allowing the team to have some
fun has not detracted from the players’ focus in any way. If
anything, their focus has allowed Kehres to take a step back this
year and enjoy himself more than he has in years past.

“I think this team is more focused than ever on winning
and being great at the little things,” said senior linebacker
Charles Dieuseul. “[Coach] has mellowed out a little bit, but
I wouldn’t say too much, though. He can still drop the hammer
down when he needs to.”

The coaches have not had reason to put loads of pressure on the
seniors, or the rest of the team. After the disappointing end to
2011, the Purple Raiders knew what they had to do to close out 2012
the right way. Talent has never been lacking in this program, but
this year’s edition found other ways to improve.

“The biggest difference I feel from last year’s to
this year’s team is the willingness to sacrifice all personal
goals for the sake of the team,” said Simon. “Everybody
is together and we are on one page in terms of what we need to get
done to win a championship. We’re hungry.”

The unselfish mentality has pervaded the locker room. Other
changes are evident on the field and on the sideline. New assistant
coaches have motivated their position groups. Two former defensive
linemen are now starters on a dominant offensive line. Dieuseul, an
All-American defensive end, moved back to middle linebacker.

“We made changes that helped our players,” said
Kehres.

Those changes led to the Purple Raiders finishing the regular
season with the top offense and defense in the nation. Mount Union
posted six straight shutouts and allowed just seven points through
the first seven games of the season. The Purple Raiders hung 72
points on not one, but two, playoff opponents. The dominance was
not a result of pressuring one another; rather, it was a mindset
shared across the board by every member of the program.

“I don't think anyone really felt pressured out of the
seniors,” said Simon. “It was our mission to make it
here at any cost. We all believed in ourselves and understood all
of our responsibilities.”

The seniors know about the teams that came before them. They
know that a successful season at Mount Union culminates in a
championship. This is their last shot to hoist the walnut and
bronze trophy. The work started shortly after the final seconds
ticked off the clock at Salem Stadium on Dec. 16, 2011.

“[The seniors] understand that this is a process you must
go through to get there,” said Kehres. “They have paid
their dues and earned their chance to get there this
year.”

The rich tradition and history of the program has long been a
presence in Salem. Former champions watch home games from the
sideline, reach out to current players on Twitter, and help the
program financially. The current players are aware of the past, but
eager to create their own legacy.

“With our alumni, it’s a process of sharing and
participating,” said Kehres. “I think it helps our
players. Our football family is a tight-knit one.”

Kehres is eager to see how his team bounces back from its
biggest challenge to date. The Purple Raiders had not trailed in
the fourth quarter of any game prior to Saturday’s win over
the Cru. The start of final exams on Sunday evening helped the
Purple Raiders put the semifinal win behind them quickly. Between
finals and a short week to prepare for St. Thomas, the players did
not have much time to celebrate or dwell on their comeback
victory.

“I know on Sunday it felt like a dream, it felt surreal,
but after we watched the game in films and moved on to St. Thomas,
we knew that we have a job to do and that’s to win a
championship,” said Simon, who rushed for the go-ahead score
with five seconds to play.

While the Purple Raiders fell behind in the first quarter in
several games this season, the semifinal was the first time this
team has been tested late in a game. Their resilient response
proved that this team can handle adversity and win under any
circumstance.

“I think they liked it,” said Kehres of the narrow
victory. “I think the players relish in playing in close
games.”

The players have one another’s backs. It might be
attributed to the Stagg Bowl losses of the last three years. It
might have more to do with the senior leadership from players like
Dieuseul, Nick Driskill, Antonio Tate, and Jasper Collins. Whatever
the reason, there is a closeness that the players share, a
camaraderie that kept them calm heading into a fourth quarter
trailing by 14 points in the semifinal.

“We are a family and I have never been around a team like
this before out of the years I’ve been here,” said
Simon.

Having a roster full of driven players who keep each other
focused on a daily basis sounds like a coach’s dream.
It’s certainly helped a legendary veteran remain content
despite three straight 14-1 seasons, each ending in defeat. This
senior class has accomplished enough to go down as one of the most
memorable in the program’s storied history, no matter
Friday’s outcome.

Said Kehres: “It’s really been an enjoyable
year.”

Still, coming up short in Salem for a fourth straight year would
be a disappointment. The seniors have unfinished business and they
know it. Making it back to Salem was one step; there’s one
more box that remains unchecked heading into Friday night.

“It was a lot of pressure and we wanted that
pressure,” said Dieuseul. “Being the only class in
20-odd years not winning a championship is a big deal to us and the
Mount Union football program.”

You never want to be the team that didn’t do something, or
win that championship.”